


Hushed Tones & French Fries

by coffeeshopangel



Category: Brolin, Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-13
Updated: 2012-12-13
Packaged: 2017-11-21 01:45:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeeshopangel/pseuds/coffeeshopangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Based on the Brolin fandom explosion of 2012 where Colin/Bradley are at an unnamed restaurant and deeply in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Rou aka brolinskeep on Tumblr for the lend of her amazing name.  
> *Disclaimer* I do not own Bradley James, Colin Morgan OR Rou.

The restaurant was warm, comfortable. Maybe that was why Colin always insisted on going there. Or maybe it was because it was away from the general hustle-bustle of people in crazy crowds and they could always find a seat near the back. Whatever it was, Bradley was glad. Glad that he could sit here, across the table from a flushed and smiling Colin, who was looking through the menu as if it held the key to life.  
"I think I'm going to have the-"  
“Salad with no goat cheese?” Bradley interjected and Colin smiled a little wider, nodding and closing his menu gently.   
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Colin's high cheekbones were tinged pink in the fading light and his eyes sparkled a deep blue.   
"You always get that when we come here." Bradley stated, closing his own menu and leaning forward slightly. His forearms rested on the table and his eyes connected with Colin's; blue on blue.  
"It's good!" Colin replied, "and healthy." he added as a second-thought, voice taking on a suggestive tone.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bradley asked, tilting his head almost menacingly, but it just made Colin laugh.  
"Nothing." His response was short and to the point and Colin burst out laughing at the sight of the extremely annoyed Bradley James.  
"Are you sure, Morgan?" Through the years of acting on set of 'Merlin' that was the one thing that had grown into a habit for Bradley. He would always roll the first three letters of Colin's surname, just as he did when he had to act mad at "Merlin" on set.   
Colin was saved from answering as a waitress approached their table, pad in hand and smile lighting up her features. She was young, probably had this job to make her way through college and her huge brown eyes were kind; something you couldn't say for many people nowadays.  
"Hello, I'm Rou and I'll be your waitress tonight, what can I get you?" Her voice was bubbly and cheerful, that of a content person who wouldn't freak out if she saw Bradley James and Colin Morgan dining together.   
Bradley ordered fish and chips, earning a scowl from Colin, who gave his order of salad with no goat cheese. He apologized for asking so much of the chef but Rou just laughed.  
"Don't worry about it! We've had much worse." And with a final smile she spun around and retreated to her post behind the counter.   
"Do you think she recognized us?" Colin asked in a hushed voice, sending a contemplative glance at Rou, who seemed to be busying herself with her the papers behind the counter.  
"Nah, at least, she didn't let on that she did." Bradley answered , following Colin's glance and shaking his head lightly. "Normally we get a, erm, much more enthusiastic greeting when they know who we are."  
Colin laughed again, bringing his gaze back to Bradley's face.  
"I just wanted to thank you." Colin said, silently brushing his foot against Bradley's under the table.  
"For what?" Bradley's eyes had locked back onto Colin's and with deliberate slowness he raked them down Colin's face, over his darkening cheekbones, down into the hollow part of Colin's cheek that he liked to nuzzle, and finally resting on Colin's lips. He wet his own lips, earning a slight gasp from Colin, who retaliated by kicking him.  
"For bringing me here and putting up with my crazy ways..." Colin trailed off and Bradley snapped his eyes back to Colin's.   
"Colin, I wouldn't have it any other way." His quiet tone spoke volumes for Colin, but the gesture meant more. Bradley rested his hand on top of Colin's, fingers brushing his knuckles. Colin looked at their overlapping hands and smiled sadly.  
"Do you think we'll ever be able to do this in public?" he asked, interlacing their fingers together. Bradley squeezed lightly, staring straight into the depths of Colin's eyes.  
"I don't know." he answered truthfully. Colin didn't know how many nights he had stayed up, with the younger boy curled into his side, thinking about it.  
Their moment was interrupted by the jingling of bells as the restaurant doors opened and two girls stepped in.   
Bradley let go of Colin's hand with an apologetic squeeze and Colin smiled back in response. He gave a half-shrug in Bradley's direction and stuck out his tongue, making Bradley laugh. They made small talk for the next few minutes until Rou returned with their drinks, looking slightly more flustered than before.   
"If you need anything else, just call." Some of the bubbliness had faded from her voice, but her smile still reached her eyes. She dimpled at them sweetly before making her way to the new customers and whipping out her pen. Bradley heard her reciting the same speech she gave them and he just chuckled. Colin gave him a questioning look but Bradley just shook his head.  
They talked. About how Bradley's new movie was going and if they should go see the new James Bond film or not (Bradley was all for it but Colin just rolled his eyes). They talked about their upcoming visit with Angel; the one person who knew they were together. Conversation subsided into silence when Bradley spotted Rou walking towards them with two plates and a smile.   
"Here you boys go! Enjoy!" She laid the plates out in front of the respected people and gave a little wave. The bells jingled again when an elderly couple walked in and Colin smiled at them, the woman smiling back.. She turned to her partner and said something Bradley couldn't hear, but the man looked up and smiled kindly at them. Bradley returned his smile and took a drink of water.   
"I think that's so sweet." Colin sighed through mouthfuls of green.   
Bradley just nodded and took another bite of his fish. Colin stole a fry and gave Bradley his sweetest puppy dog eyes while Bradley just rolled his own. Colin continued stealing Bradley's french fries until Bradley just gave up and pushed the plate into the middle of the table where it was more accessible to Colin's long, slender fingers.  
When both of them were absolutely stuffed, Colin piled the plates on top of one another and stretched his arms above his head.  
"All that theft making your arms tired?" Bradley poked Colin in the stomach, interrupting him mid-stretch. Colin sent him a nasty look and Bradley just grinned. They finished their drinks and Colin slipped a fiver onto the table as a tip.   
"How was your dinner?" Rou asked as she punched in their order on the cash register.  
"It was very good." Colin answered and Bradley handed over his debit card. Rou handed it back to him and Bradley started his transaction through the hand held device she gave him. "But I'd say the service was the best part."  
Rou flushed a deep pink and stammered her reply as Bradley handed her back the machine and smiling his sweetest smile. "We'll be sure to come back."  
"Thank you! Have a nice night!" Bradley and Colin said their goodbyes, smiling to the elderly couple on the way out and finally sliding into the familiar material of Bradley's car. Darkness had fallen over the world outside as they ate and by this time, the city lights twinkled brightly against the black back top of the sky. Bradley wove his way through the streets of London, one hand on the steering wheel and the other in Colin's hand. John Farnham came on the radio and Colin sang along, much to Bradley's entertainment.  
"You're the voice, try and understand it. Make a noise and make it clear. Oooh - woah - oooh woaaha."  
Bradley added his own voice to the music and he could feel Colin's smile from the opposite side of the car.  
"We're not gonna sit in silence, we're not gonna live with fear. Ooooh - woah - ooooh woaaaaaaha."  
The musical part of the song came on and Colin dropped Bradley's grip to beat along the dashboard.  
"We're all someone's daughter. We're all someone's son. Looking out for each other, down the barrel of a gun."  
Bradley pulled into their driveway just as Colin finished the final sentence of the song.  
"... Ooooooh - woah - ooooh - woaaaaha."  
"Come on, let's get you inside."   
"Bradley?" Colin's voice made Bradley turn around.  
"Yeah?"  
"Catch!" Colin's face was pure glee as he jumped into the older man's arms. Bradley hmphed with the unexpected weight but caught his footing after a split second. Bradley wrestled around Colin's body a bit and found an exceptionally more comfortable way of holding Colin. No words were spoken as Bradley cradled Colin to his chest and walked up to the door of their flat.  
"Um, Colin, would you mind?" Colin pecked him on the cheek and twisted slightly, sliding his hand into Bradley's front pocket with a sly grin and revealing his key chain. It took a bit more squirming for Colin to get the door open, but at last, Bradley heard the creak of the hinges and he smiled down. They slipped in the door easily, Bradley slamming it with his foot and walking them forwards, past the kitchen and the tv room, turning right when he reached the third door on his left and backing into it.  
"Watch the vitals." he commanded Colin, who curled tighter into Bradley's embrace and they made it through the bedroom door, Colin pushing it closed with his foot and kissing Bradley.   
"I - wanted - to - do - this - to - you - all - night." Colin gasped through their kisses. Bradley threw Colin onto the bed and crawled on top of him, straddling his hips and running his hands up Colin's shirt.   
"Why didn't you?" Bradley asked with a sneaky smile, noting how dark Colin's eyes had become before capturing his mouth in another kiss. His tongue snaked out of his mouth to run along Colin's bottom lip and he felt the smaller man shudder underneath him.  
"I didn't think the restaurant would have allowed us to return," Colin's speech was broken off into a strangled whimper as Bradley nipped at his lip, "if I had bent you over the table, making you beg and whimper right there, in the restaurant."  
This time it was Bradley's turn to shudder. "Yes well, before you get anymore of me," Bradley slid off of Colin, earning a desperate whimper and Colin's best puppy dog eyes, "you're going to have to brush your teeth. You taste like spinach."  
Colin rolled his eyes and climbed off the bed when he realized Bradley was serious. Bradley heard Colin's footsteps padding through the room, with only memories and a sliver of moonlight to guide him. The light flicked on, blinding Bradley for a second, and then the door shut, leaving only the escaping brightness to pain the backs of Bradley's eyelids. While Colin brushed his teeth, Bradley toed off his shoes and socks, flinging the socks across the room and letting his shoes hit the floor with a muffled thump.  
The bathroom door opened again, revealing a shirtless, bare-footed Colin, who shut the light off quickly and practically ran back to the bed.   
Bradley slid back on top of Colin, nuzzling his cheek and running his hands over the flat expanse of skin on Colin's torso. "Now, where were we?"


	2. Burnt Lasagna & Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Hushed Tones & French Fries; Bradley's been in America for too long and Colin botches his welcome-home supper, therefore they resort to the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *There is A LOT of fluff in this and I apologize profusely for it, if you're one who dislikes fluff... Of any kind.  
> Thanks to Rou (brolinskeep), Stephanie (brolininthetardis), Chelsea (achelseabee) & Jess (youreawizardmerlin); four of the best people on the Earth, for the use of their names.

Colin had split his time into two categories since he met Bradley; time spent with Bradley and time spent without Bradley. Time spent with Bradley flew by, like a balloon on a windy day whereas time spent without Bradley dragged on in what seemed to be a never-ending day until he woke up to a cold bed and it started all over again. Colin had of course tried various things to keep his mind from wandering; he read scripts, went grocery shopping, tried to tame his hair but everywhere he went he saw Bradley. He would spend all night next to the phone, waiting for the ring that would bring Bradley's voice to him and when Colin told Bradley he missed him, Bradley would say that he was nothing worth missing but wrap it up with a soft I love you. This circle of what could be called life, or what Colin preferred to think of it as Hell had lead him to the day Bradley was meant to return from America.  
He spent that Friday cleaning all available surfaces until they basically screamed clean, throwing laundry into the washer and running to pull it out and stuff another load in and cleansing the kitchen of take-out menus and some pieces of food that didn't look like food at all. At four Colin took a breather, and started cooking.  
Colin wouldn't say he was bad at cooking, it just wasn't one of his specialties and with that thought in mind, he scraped the lasagna out of it's pan and let it thump into the garbage can. With a resigned sigh, Colin grabbed his phone and started texting.  
 _Can you meet me at our restaurant?_  
His phone dinged a minute later and Colin could almost hear Bradley's laughter.  
 _You burnt whatever it was you were trying to make me, didn't you?_  
 _Shut up._  
An hour later found Colin clean-shaven, wearing a blue button up and dark blues jeans, sitting in Bradley's car in the parking lot of his favorite restaurant. Bradley texted him constantly, complaining about the person in front of him and the crying babies and how long it took him to get home. Colin would just roll his eyes and tap back a simple response, knowing Bradley's next text was going to be breaching a new topic. Colin locked the car, replied to Bradley's text telling him that they were landing and entered the restaurant.  
A familiar sight registered in Colin's mind and he smiled at the beautiful girl behind the counter with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, styled into easy curls, huge brown eyes and a smile that made Colin feel on top of the world. Rou waved and waited until Colin was seated in his normal seat before approaching.  
"Where's blondie?" They had told her who they were a while back and she just rolled her eyes and shrugged. It didn't matter to Rou that they were Colin Morgan and Bradley James, what mattered to her was that they were human and no human, however good-looking or rich was better than another. Rou was also very talkative; in the months that Colin and Bradley had been served by her, Colin had learned that she was almost finished with university and wanted to be either a journalist or do something in marketing, she hated homework and her best friends were two girls named Jess and Stephanie, who were both obsessed with Merlin so she couldn't rightly tell them who she'd been serving the past few months.  
"On a plane, he'll be here soon." Colin replied and she nodded, zipping to get Colin a drink from the kitchens.  
Colin sat in silence, letting his mind roam free as he stared across the table to where Bradley's golden hair and brilliant blue eyes normally sat. He remembered the first time they had came here, starving and practically drenched to the bone. He had collapsed into a chair, the very one he was sitting in at that moment, with Bradley across from him, little rivulets of rain tracing the planes of his face and nestling into his light stubble. Their server that night had been sweet, bringing them each a towel and announcing herself as Chelsea. She had dark hair that fell into natural ringlets which made Colin think of Angel and honest brown eyes. It was the first time Colin had apologized for ordering a salad with no goat cheese and the first time he stole french fries from Bradley's plate. Just as he did now, Bradley rolled his eyes and pushed the plate into a better access zone for Colin's fingers. It was the first time Colin realized he was in love with Bradley James.  
Rou's voice brought Colin back to the present. "Colin? You okay?"  
Colin tore his gaze away from the empty seat across from him and into Rou's face, worry etching every feature. "Oh yeah, I was just thinking."  
His response erased the worry from Rou's demeanor and she smiled, "Don't do too much of that, we don't want you to hurt yourself." With a wink and another smile, she backed away, retreating to the safety of her counter perch.  
Colin returned to his thoughts, remembering the first time Bradley had run his hand over Colin's in this restaurant and the hum it sent vibrating through his body. He remembered Bradley's voice speaking low and smooth, "I do want to hold your hand in public and kiss you under mistletoe. I do want to dance with you under stars and take you to the movies where we can throw popcorn at each other and collapse into giggles afterwards. I do want to tell people I'm in love with you, because I am. But I can't and right now, I don't want to risk what we have. It may just be stolen kisses in secluded corners and friendly encounters when we're in public, but I'm still with you, and that means more to me than anything else ever could." Colin had sat in an astonished silence, just staring into Bradley's truthful eyes and wishing he could curl up inside the little world they had built together and remain there forever.  
He was so lost in the way Bradley's mouth moved in to kiss him that night and how gentle it had been, communicating all unspoken words into one kiss that burned red hot and had etched itself into Colin's mind that he didn't hear the door jingle open and close with a rush of cold, November air. And when a breath of warm air hit his neck, Colin jumped out of his seat, twirling around and in his haste, knocking over his chair, which clattered to the floor in defeat. It was far from romantic, but by the way Bradley was grinning it was enough.  
"Hey." Bradley breathed, staring into Colin's ocean-blue eyes, grin morphing itself into a sweet smile. The smile he saved only for Colin.  
"Hey." Colin whispered back, eyes moving away from Bradley's to examine every inch of his boyfriend. His golden blonde hair was tousled artfully, blue eyes dark with love and want, eyelashes casting shadows onto Bradley's cheekbones. They stood like that for an unmeasurable amount of time, allowing their eyes to take in every piece, every imperfection of each other until they were both satisfied.  
"Boys, boys, boys," Rou's melodic voice came from behind Bradley's shoulder and Colin flicked his eyes onto her. "I have food if you're interested."  
Bradley smiled at her and Colin sized up the plates she was carrying. One had lasagna with garlic toast and a small salad on the side, whereas Colin's held a spinach salad, with no goat cheese and a small plate of the french fries Colin loved so much.  
Rou arranged the plates on the table, gave Bradley a small welcome-home hug and then disappeared into what Colin could only assume to be the kitchen to give them some privacy. The rest of the restaurant was lacking people although Colin was pretty sure most people who ate here arrived around 7.  
Colin watched as Bradley's eyes flickered from the food on the table to Colin's lips and back to the food as if he couldn't decide which he wanted more.  
"I can wait, Bradley. Sit, eat." Colin bent down to pick up the fallen chair, but Bradley reached it first.  
"Now, now, what kind of British gentleman would I be if I didn't pull out the chair of my significant other." He had put extra emphasis on his British accent and Colin could easily picture him with a pair of spectacles on, sipping a cup of tea and reading the newspaper. That image made Colin giggle as he sat down in the now up-right chair. Bradley smiled and sat down opposite of him. "I have a present for you."  
Colin looked up from his salad and grinned as Bradley took a small, wrapped package from his pocket and slid it over the table. Colin rested his hand on top of Bradley's and smiled, just smiled. "I missed you."  
"I missed you too." Bradley's voice was soft, softer than Colin had ever heard it.  
Colin shifted their hands so that his was the one holding Bradley's little, wrapped box and Bradley's was lying on the table, palm down.  
The paper was light blue and wrapped clumsily, but it made Colin smile. He couldn't stop smiling. If Angel walked in the restaurant and told them Merlin had been cancelled and she had accidentally outed them, Colin would still be smiling. Nothing mattered to him other than having Bradley sitting across from him.  
"You didn't have to do this." Colin didn't look up from the small blue package in his hands, trembling with the vibrations from Colin's fingers.  
"I didn't have to, no, but I wanted to." Colin looked up and Bradley's eyes were locked on Colin's face, like a dying man in need of air. Colin just nodded and with shaking hands he carefully ripped open the wrapping paper.  
Inside sat a tiny black box and Colin gasped. "Bradley, what is this?"  
"Open it and find out." Bradley's voice trembled with emotion and slowly, Colin popped open the little black box.  
It was a simple gold ring, lying on top of smooth black velvet. Colin slid his trembling fingers over the velvet, soft and smooth. The tears welled in Colin's eyes.  
"Oh, Bradley..." He looked up, into Bradley's gaze and the tears slipped out of his eyelids, tracking salt and water down Colin's cheekbones to drip into his mouth.  
"Colin, I-I wanted you to have this. It doesn't have to be an engagement ring, per se, but I just wanted you to know that you're worth more than anything in the world and when I'm away, you're all I can think about. I count the hours until I can hear your voice over the phone and all month I've been counting the minutes until I got to see your face again. This ring is a symbol. A promise, if you will, to show you how much I love you and that no matter where I'm forced to go, I will always return home. To you."  
Words weren't enough for Colin in that moment, nothing could possibly describe the way he was feeling. He watched as Bradley reached across the food, abandoned in front of them, and pluck the ring out of it's nest. He grabbed Colin's hand, skin soft and warm, and slipped the ring onto the pinky finger of his left hand.  
Colin was still staring at the little gold band around his finger when his voice returned. "I-I don't have anything for you."  
Bradley smiled, "I don't need anything from you. I already have you and that's enough for me."  
Colin's eyes roamed Bradley's face and he smiled, intertwining their hands on the table. The band around his finger shone in the dull restaurant light and it felt cool against his skin but Colin knew it felt right. Everything felt right.  
Later that night, when they had returned home and their mouths had mapped every centimeter of each other's body, Colin curled into Bradley's warmth, head resting on Bradley's shoulder with his nose nuzzling into the dip where his shoulder met his neck, Colin sighed.  
"I love you, Bradley." he mumbled into Bradley's skin, sleepily.  
Bradley didn't answer, he just slipped his hand around Colin's and squeezed gently. Colin fell asleep with Bradley's promise ringing in his ears.


End file.
